


Lieutenant Stamets' Serious Medical Condition Which Is Very Serious

by nerdqueenenterprise



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 07:12:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13497260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdqueenenterprise/pseuds/nerdqueenenterprise
Summary: Tilly's new superior must have a serious medical condition. That's why Doctor Culber comes to see him so much, right?





	Lieutenant Stamets' Serious Medical Condition Which Is Very Serious

**Author's Note:**

> based on [ @yes-deardoctor ](http://www.yes-deardoctor.tumblr.com) 's post about tilly not making the connection at first :D

Her new superior is… not like Tilly had expected. He’s kind of cute, really, with very fair skin and a slight frown going on and he’s obviously a genius, and -

    “Is there a problem, cadet?”

    “No, sir.”

    “Then why aren’t you getting to work?”

    “Right away, sir.”

\- and also very direct and she probably already made a bad expression on him even though this is her very first day and they haven’t even left the dock yet.

Not good.

So she gets to work, opening up the briefing manuscript while Lieutenant Stamets disappears into another part of the labs. And… wow, that is some science! She gets engrossed in it immediately and doesn’t even notice them leaving the dock.

 

Later on, there’s a staff meeting to discuss the briefing manuscript and while Stamets is not exactly unfriendly, he’s at the very least a bit abrasive. Also, apparently half of what they’re working on is “need to know”, and apparently Tilly doesn’t need to know. Which, ouch. 

But she’s determined to do her absolute best here, so she dives nosefirst into those equations the lieutenant wants her to do, and lets the room fade out around her.

 

That’s until shortly after her shift technically ended but she wants to finish the last few lines (and make a good impression, but that’s besides the point), when an officer in white passes her station.

Tilly glances up in cursory curiosity - she has been focusing on her work for a pretty long time after all. White means medical, and even though she only sees his back she’s pretty sure he must be old enough to be a doctor.

Which is weird because why would there be a doctor down here? There was no medical alert sounded, so nobody could’ve been injured. Unless the need to know things down here are something so dangerous that everyone who gets into contact with whatever that is that’s hidden to Tilly needs to be checked through by a doctor?

The man goes to talk to Lieutenant Stamets, but they’re quiet enough that Tilly can’t hear them.

 

She’s dead tired when she crawls into bed that night, so she doesn’t spend any more time thinking about what  _ Discovery  _ might be hiding in her belly.

 

The next day is much the same, and when she leaves - two hours after her shift should’ve ended - she passes the same doctor on her way out. He steps aside with a smile and a “please, after you” to let her through the door, and then he vanishes into their labs.

Tilly turns but the doors have slid shut.

 

She doesn’t always catch him, but more often than not she sees him come to the labs after shift end. And yes, he is a doctor, according to the ship’s crew manifest. A lieutenant commander even.

Tilly scrolls down further on the page accessible to her. Hm. Doctor Hugh Culber. Not married to Lieutenant Stamets then. 

So there must be a different reason for why he constantly visits them. Medbay is several decks away, and so are the living quarters, so he’s not checking in on a friend on his way to his room. Also the fact that whenever he talks to Stamets, they keep their voices so low that Tilly can’t make out a single word. Almost like whatever they’re talking about is need to know.

A mystery. Tilly likes those.

 

Then she sees them having lunch together one day. Doctor Culber walks up to Lieutenant Stamets with a worried frown and asks him how he’s doing. Whether he’s feeling better. Whether the meds helped. 

And that makes so much sense Tilly almost gives herself a milk shower. Of course.

One, yes, the lieutenant had been even more cranky than usual today, which Tilly had, uh, noticed, so to speak.

And two - Lieutenant Stamets must have an ongoing medical issue! And Doctor Culber is simply his attending doctor!

 

Stamets, even though he’s only two tables away, luckily didn’t hear the test tube breaking, but he does hear the little “shit!!” Tilly can’t suppress when she cuts herself.

    “Cadet?”

Aaaand there he is, suddenly standing right beside her.

    “Did you cut yourself?”

    “Oh, it’s not bad, it’s just -”

    “Go have that checked out, please.” He looks almost worried about her.

    “Yes, sir.”

 

And through some odd twist of fate, it’s Doctor Culber who takes a look at her hand after shooing a nurse off into their break.

    “How’re the labs, cadet?” 

    “Um?”

    “Oh, I’ve seen you down there before. Didn’t think you’d remember, but, uh, you work with Lieutenant Stamets.”

    “Oh, no, yeah, I, I definitely remember you, yeah. Uh, engineering is fine, the labs are fine, you know, we’re just… working on, you know, working on our stuff.”

Culber grins. “The spore drive?”

    “Wha- oh my god! How do you know that, that’s secret!”

    “Lieutenant Stamets told me.”

    “Oh.”

    “So… you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone. I know what you’re working on.”

    “Yeah. No, obviously.”

    “So are you getting anywhere, or is Lieutenant Stamets going to get a little more grumpy every day?” There’s a sparkle of fondness in his eyes, and Tilly decides that she likes this doctor, a lot.

So maybe she can even be funny with him.

    “Why, are you worried you’ll have to treat him even more?”

    “Let’s just say that I wish all members of your particular research division were as diligent with their health as you are, if you get what I mean.”

 

Doctor Culber is great. He also starts greeting her with her name whenever he shows up in the labs, which is really nice.

He also does her physical, which she’d been a little scared of, and he’s really nice there too and he’s funny and he’s got warm hands which is always a plus in a doctor.

 

Shortly after the physical, he stops by engineering again but he doesn’t greet Tilly this time around. Instead, he heads straight over to Lieutenant Stamets, even going so far as to touch his shoulder, and just as they disappear into a side room Tilly overhears a “I’m just worried, Paul. I don’t want it to get any worse.”

That’s worrying. So Stamets’ medical condition is really bad.

Maybe that’s why he’s so pale. Of course it could also just be a form of albinism, but maybe it’s connected to whatever condition he has.

He probably gets a lot of headaches too, which is why he’s always frowning.

 

Culber really is everywhere Stamets goes, and Tilly really tries not to pry or listen in on their talks, but the more she observes them, the more she observes the way Culber obviously cares for Stamets, the lingering looks and gentle touches, the more she’s sure that whatever Stamets has, it’s really bad.

 

She only realizes that her work PADD must still be in engineering when she remembers that she’d wanted to finish those molecular alignment levels. This is one of those times where it would really be useful to have a roommate slash best friend, because she isn’t exactly looking forward to walking through the whole ship with her hair wet and dripping from the shower, but she can’t go with a towel around her head either.

Luckily, she doesn’t see a soul on her way to engineering, and the door swishes open so quietly she’s sure nobody heard her, either. And at this time engineering should be deserted, so really, nobody will know that she left her work PADD down here.

The room is quiet and dark and the air is filled with otherworldly music that sends a tiny shiver down Tilly’s spine, like she just entered a fairy realm.

    “Are you really trying to lure me from my work?” Lieutenant Stamets’ voice is clear through the siren song of whatever that music is.

Doctor Culber sets down the small portable music player and turns towards the lieutenant.

    “Always.”

And is that a smile on Stamets’ face? Not that Tilly has ever seen that before, but it seems to be.

Stamets puts down the PADD he’s holding and steps out from behind his station, Culber turning towards him, hands outstretched.

They come together practically perfectly, fingers slotting together and arms wrapping around waists and Stamets leans his shoulder against Culber’s and ducks his head so it fits under his chin. Culber does the first step and Stamets follows so smoothly it seems like they’re one body.

Like a little fairytale.

    “So? How are the mushrooms, love?”

    “And you accuse me of always thinking of work, hm?”

Culber laughs, bending his neck to kiss Stamets on the angle of his jaw.

Oh. So they’re… a thing.

Well that explains… a lot, frankly.

    “Alright, no work talk. How’s my favorite mushroom, then?”

Stamets laughs into Culber’s neck, a sweet little giggle, and he allows himself to be dipped, just a little.

    “I’m fine, dear doctor. Stop worrying about me.”

    “You’ve been having a lot of headaches recently.”

Another turn, and then they sway together, completely in tune with the music.

Culber says something too quiet for Tilly to hear, and Stamets laughs again, and maybe Tilly shouldn’t be here, because this is obviously private.

She steps back and the doors slide shut and what little slice of heaven she just saw is hidden again.

Her PADD can wait until tomorrow.

 

    “Didn’t I ask you to finish those alignment levels by today?” The frown on his face and the disdain in his voice make him such a different man from the smiley, happy, giggly Stamets she saw getting dipped only a few meters from here yesterday that it doesn’t seem like they’re even the same species.

    “You did, sir, but -”

    “What but? Cadet, I was under the impression that we were working on some important science here?”

    “I - sir, I’m sorry, I forgot my PADD here.”

    “And you couldn’t come get it?!”

    “Uh… I wanted to?”

    “But?!”

Oh geez, he seems really pissed.

    “I was here, and I -” Tilly lowers her voice. “I saw you with Doctor Culber.”

Stamets’ expression is not a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it look of surprise. It’s full on face falling in shock, and he even takes a small step backwards.

    “I… see. Uh - cadet, Tilly. Tilly, I would, it would be, if you could keep that to yourself, I would be very - and Hu- Doctor Culber, too - we’d be very appreciative.”

    “Of course, lieutenant.”

    “Thank you.” He turns away, cheeks pink. “Oh, and, um, thank you for… for not interrupting.”

    “Of course.”

 

And that’s that.

 

Until Doctor Culber comes by her station again one day, after he’d just visited Stamets (and Tilly really tries not to notice how blushy the lieutenant is).

    “I didn’t get the chance to thank you yet,” he says.

    “Thank me for what?”

    “Paul’s a very private person, and I know he appreciates your silence very much. As do I.”

Paul?  _ Oh. _

    “Yeah, no, that’s - not a problem at all!”

    “Thank you, Tilly.”

 

A few weeks later she ends up having lunch with Stamets, and Culber comes to join them. There’s a little moment where both the men obviously don’t really know the protocol. Then Stamets throws Tilly a look and then very deliberately slots his fingers together with Culber’s, sharing a quiet, secret smile with him before going back to whatever they were talking about before.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you liked this lil thingie! if you did, please leave a comment <3  
> also come say hi over at [ @shroom-boi ](http://www.shroom-boi.tumblr.com) !


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